East Northamptonshire Council helps community and voluntary sector with grants for support services

East Northamptonshire Council helps community and voluntary sector with grants for support services

Published Friday, 16 December 2016

East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) has allocated grants totalling £95,000 to community and voluntary sector organisations for 2017-20.

Organisations were invited to put in applications for the grants in the various themes and their proposals were considered by a panel of councillors. The decisions on the final awards were made by the council’s Policy and Resources committee in December 2016.

Each application for the three year Community Support Grant (CSG) had to demonstrate how the organisation would tackle local issues under three key themes - Debt Management, Counselling and Support and Community Transport.

For the Debt Management theme, the grant has been awarded to Community Law Service (Northampton and County) who provide independent and confidential specialist advice, information and representation on debt, welfare benefits, housing, employment law and immigration. The grant will allow Community Law Service to help reduce debt across the district, educate residents about the implications of using unscrupulous and high interest lenders and will work closely with the council’s Revenues and Benefits team to help residents through welfare reform changes. For more information, visit their website or call 01933 313020 or drop into the Advice Shop at 32 High Street, Rushden.

The Counselling and Support theme grant has been awarded to Service Six who offer counselling, support and positive activities to the children, young people, families and communities of Northamptonshire. Service Six will use the grant to improve counselling and support services across East Northamptonshire including access to specialist services around mental health issues. For more information, visit their websiteor call 0193 277520.

Serve and Volunteer Action Oundle have been awarded funding for the Community Transport theme. They will work together to provide services for elderly and disabled members of the community. Serve offers help with home care, hospital discharge and aftercare support while Volunteer Action provides a community car scheme and a befriending scheme to help with getting around the district and keeping in touch with the community. Both organisations are supported by volunteers to run their schemes and the grant will help with ensuring residents can get out and about across the district, particularly to medical appointments. If you live in Caldecott, Chelveston, Denford, Great Addington, Hargrave, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Little Addington, Newton Bromswold, Raunds, Ringstead, Rushden, Stanwick and Woodford and need community transport services, call Serve on 01933 315555 or visit their website. If you live in any other town or village in East Northamptonshire, call Volunteer Action Oundle for your community transport needs on 01832 275433 or visit this website.

Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Steven North said:

“We’re committed to supporting the voluntary and community sector as we recognise the important role it plays in tackling the challenges facing our communities. By working with the sector, the council can make a real difference for the people of East Northamptonshire.”

For more information on how ENC supports the community and voluntary sector, visit this page.